Experience report: Yoga for runners in Montreal with Julien Gagnon

Posted In: Fitness May 2nd, 2017 divider 1 Comment »

I spent a wonderful Saturday on the weekend where I taught a great group of runners before doing a 3-hour yoga for runners class with the one and only Julien Gagnon.

For those who don’t know him, he’s a former athlete/dancer and now one of the best yoga instructors who specializes working with athletes. I look at him as a movement expert and now a friend. He’s the real deal. He’s also gotten me to come back to teach in Montreal and for that alone I’m grateful!

It was such a nice morning to work on posture/cadence/arm swing with some insightful folks. Who doesn’t love to run along the Port of Montreal on a sunny spring day? Magic!

We then got treated to a special class to get to understand our bodies a bit more. I think of myself as a fairly body-aware person but I always learn something new when I teach or take a class with Julien.

We actually didn’t do much but we went deep. It was delicious with lots of emphasis on core and hips. It was a yin-themed session with some supported and partner work.

I’m a big fan of his cues, and as a teacher it’s something I pay a lot of attention to. He likes to go beneath the surface to get to the root of the issue, not just a stretch you feel for 30 seconds of so.

Julien has been going back to the basics in his practice lately. He’s an extremely skilled yogi but instead of doing headstands, he preaches doing a proper forward bend or bridge where you’re aware of what you’re working and what muscles should and shouldn’t be working.

It was a great check-in for the body and the mind. Unfortunately I don’t have time for longer yoga classes these days but after Saturday I might have to make a bit more time.

Leaving that studio, my heart was full. And my body felt amazing. Here’s to many more of these days!